NS_E_CANNOT_DELETE_ACTIVE_SOURCEGROUP (0XC00D1B60) Fix

Cause 1: The source group is still encoding

You're trying to delete a source group in Windows Media Encoder (WME) 9 Series, but it's currently encoding or in a paused state. The error code 0XC00D1B60 literally means "cannot delete an active source group while encoding." The encoder hasn't stopped — it's just sitting there, waiting, or actively pushing data.

This happens most often when you've set up a broadcast encoding session, clicked Start, then tried to remove a source group without stopping first. Maybe you clicked Stop but didn't wait for the encoding engine to fully release. Or you used a preset that auto-starts on load.

Fix: Stop encoding completely before deleting

1. Open Windows Media Encoder. You should see your source groups listed in the left panel.
2. Look at the toolbar at the top. If the "Stop" button (a black square icon) is available — not grayed out — encoding is still active. Click Stop now. You'll see the status bar at the bottom change from "Encoding" to "Stopped."
3. After you click Stop, wait 5-10 seconds. The encoder sometimes takes a moment to clean up threads. Don't rush.
4. Now right-click the source group you want to delete in the left panel. You should see an option Delete Source Group. Click it. If it's still grayed out, go to step 5.
5. Close Windows Media Encoder completely. File > Exit. Wait 10 seconds, then reopen it. Important: Do not load the same session file that caused the issue. Create a new blank session. This forces the encoder to release all resources tied to that source group.
6. If the source group is still listed after reopening (rare but possible), right-click it and select Delete Source Group. It'll work now because the encoder isn't encoding anything.

Why this works: Windows Media Encoder ties source groups to running encoding threads. Until those threads fully stop — not just pause — the source group is locked. A full close and reopen guarantees the threads die.

Cause 2: Corrupted session file or preset

Sometimes the error occurs even after stopping encoding. That's usually because the session file (.wme) or preset you loaded has a glitch. It tells the encoder to keep a source group marked as active, even though nothing's running. This is common if you've manually edited a preset file in Notepad and introduced a syntax error, or if the file got corrupted from a crash.

Fix: Delete the offending session file and start fresh

1. Close Windows Media Encoder.
2. Press Windows + R, type %appdata%, and hit Enter. That opens the Roaming folder under your user profile.
3. Look for a folder named Windows Media Encoder or Microsoft > Windows Media Encoder. Exact path: C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows Media Encoder.
4. Inside, you'll see files ending in .wme (session files) and .wmx (presets). Find the one you were using when the error appeared. Right-click it and select Delete. If you're not sure which one, delete all .wme files — you can recreate sessions later.
5. Reopen Windows Media Encoder. It'll start with a blank session.
6. Now add your source groups fresh. Right-click in the left panel, select Add Source Group, and configure from scratch. Don't load any previous session file.
7. Test deleting a source group after adding it. Right-click > Delete Source Group. It should work fine now.

If the error persists, also check C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents\Windows Media Encoder for any saved session files there. Delete those too.

Cause 3: Windows Media Encoder service hang (backend process stuck)

This is less common but still happens. The Windows Media Encoder uses a background service called Windows Media Encoder Service (wmecm.dll). If that service hangs — maybe from a previous crash or a corrupted install — it keeps a lock on source groups even after you close the GUI. You'll see the error again when you reopen the app.

Fix: Kill the hanging process via Task Manager

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. If you see the Details tab, click it. If not, click More details at the bottom first.
3. Look for wmenc.exe in the list. If it's there, right-click it and select End task.
4. Also look for wmecm.dll host processes — they might appear as svchost.exe with a description mentioning Windows Media Encoder. If you're not sure, restart your computer. That kills everything cleanly.
5. After the restart, open Windows Media Encoder again. The source groups should be gone, and you can add new ones without the error.

Pro tip: If this happens regularly, reinstall Windows Media Encoder. Download the installer from Microsoft's archive (search "Windows Media Encoder 9 Series") and run it. Choose Repair or do a fresh install. Corrupt service files are often the hidden culprit.

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